GSLP-Liberals-Manifesto-2019

of Gibraltarians - our children. A
developed, value added economy can
be a Living Wage economy. We must
be realistic, however, and note that
Brexit and its consequences can have
an effect on how quickly and in what
measure we can increase the Minimum
Wage.
A LIVING WAGE
We note the debate in the United
Kingdom about the establishment of a
Living Wage. We will establish a Living
Wage Commission in Gibraltar made
up of the Unions, the Chamber of
Commerce, the GFSB and the Gibraltar
Betting & Gambling Association to
determine whether Gibraltar should
adopt the concept of a Living Wage
and if so when and in what industries.
This may be affected by Brexit and its
consequences.
PRIVATE SECTOR PENSIONS
We are very proud indeed to have
passed the Private Sector Pensions Act
in the face of opposition from the GSD
who delayed the introduction of the
Act unnecessarily. We will continue
our work with Unite the Union on
the implementation of this Act and
will consult with other unions and the
employer organisations in order to
improve the benefits this Act delivers
to working people in the private sector.
THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
A GSLP/Liberal administration will
continue to provide all necessary
resources to the Employment Service
so that Employment Officials can:
• meet regularly with business and
industry representatives to obtain an
understanding of current and future
employment-related needs of the
business community;
• provide advice, information and
support to those that are unemployed
or looking for alternative employment;
• work with Employment Coordinators
to assess individual needs and
circumstances, matching skills,
qualification and experience to
available vacancies and identifying
possible future career opportunities;
• strengthen its relationships with
other departments and agencies,
including the Department of Education
and the Youth Service and provide
support with interview skills, writing
CVs and cover letters.
DIGITAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
As part of its e-Gov project, a GSLP/
Liberal Government will bring online
for the Department of Employment
a fully digital interactive service for
business and individuals allowing
for direct administrative interaction
and processing through its online
platform. The development of
these digital services will allow
citizens and businesses to interact
with Government systems in ways
that have never been available in
Gibraltar. Employment services such
as registration of vacancies or notices
of terms of engagement, work permit
applications and renewals and related
payments will all be available online.
EMPLOYMENT SERVICE FEES
We agreed with the GFSB that we
would review the fees recently
introduced by the Employment Service
for the registration of a vacancy. That
review has now been carried out. As
from the 1st January, small businesses
with ten employees or less will be
exempted from the registration fee.
With regard to larger businesses, we
will implement the recommendations
of the GFSB so that only those
employers who open vacancies with
no intention of filling them in the short
term will pay the registration fee.
WORKERS RIGHTS
AGENCY WORKERS
We have worked closely with Unite on
the reintroduction of the twelve week
qualifying period for parity within the
Agency Workers Regulations. This
will not be changed again. We have
also given a commitment that agency
workers and fixed term contract workers
will be engaged in the Public Sector only
where there is genuinely a requirement
for short-term cover. Temporary
workers whether directly employed or
not should not be used and will not be
used to cover permanent vacancies. As
we committed ourselves to do in the
19/20 Budget Debate, where there is
a requirement for genuine temporary
workers, the Government will lead
by example and provide parity for
agency workers from day one of their
engagement. Additionally, a future
GSLP Liberal Government will start
negotiations with Unite to enter into
Agency Worker Collective Agreements
which will include a provision for a
compulsory reviews of the role of
agency workers after a fixed period of
engagement to assess whether the role
they are discharging should be made
permanent in relevant circumstances.
This review should be subject to an ongoing
consultation with unions with a
particular focus on where temporary
workers are not being made permanent
and the rationale for these decisions.
THE ‘SWEDISH DEROGATION’
Additionally we will bring into effect
a repeal of the practice known as the
‘Swedish Derogation’ that enables
temporary work agencies to directly
employ agency workers and then
provide the worker to the hirer and
by-pass in this way the requirement
on parity for wages following the
qualifying period. A future GSLP
Liberal Government will therefore
change the rules in Gibraltar in keeping
with the provisions of the Agency
Workers (Amendment) Regulations
2019 and the Conduct of Employment
Agencies and Employment Businesses
(Amendment) Regulations 2019
which came into effect in the United
Kingdom in April this year and which
are designed to deal specifically with
the problematic issues surrounding the
Swedish Derogation.
CHAIN OF SERVICE ACCRUAL
We will also now enter into a
discussion with Unite and the employer
organisations to amend the Fixed Term
& Part Time Employees (Prevention
of Less Favourable Treatment)
Regulations to include cover for a fixed
period of non-engagement on fixed
term contracts which will not break
the accrual of four years continuous
employment for the purposes of
seeking a declaration of permanency
of employment. This will combat the
practice of employers disengaging
employees for a short period of time
before issuing a fresh fixed term
contract as a means of breaking the
chain of service accrual.
GOVERNMENT TENDERS
In order to ensure consistency in the
...aspire to the best Gibraltar 125